Christmas in your country

Just like the subject says I'd like to know abut Christmas in diffrent European countries. Are there any special traditions?

For instance in Poland we have a big supper on Christmas Eve and after that we open our presents. The supper usually starts when the first star appears, although we don't always follow that rule (at least in my family). During supper there are at least 12 different traditional courses (like the 12 apostles) and you should try each one to have good luck in the new year.

 

In Sweden, at least in my family, we have a big Christmas lunch at Christmas eve, after that we watch donald duck on tv. then, there are more on tv, but we usually turn it off and play a game while mom make rice-porridge. then somehow she disappeares, and Santa showes up! Santa leaves, mom returns, and when the presents are opened we eat the rice-porridge and play with our new things

we have advent-candles aswell, and Lucia December 13

 

We also have huge Christmas trees with presents underneath . Another thing about Christmas Eve here is that in theory we don't eat all day, not till the big supper, although I can never last the whole day

 

Is St Nicolas Day as big as Christmas in Germany ?

 

As far as I know or celebrate it St. Nicolas Day isn't as big as Christmas. The children get small gifts and some sweets mostly.

 

Is St Nicolas Day as big as Christmas in Germany ?

For children, in Belgium, St Nicolas day is bigger than Christmas : they have more presents

 

Yeah, I remember celebrating St Nicolas day in German class

Had a very traditionnal Christmas, with turkey, stuffing, and presents under the tree.

 

Well, I think Cobble covered most of the Swedish traditions...

The weirdest one must be that every Christmas Eve at 3pm, everyone in Sweden sits down in front of their TV to watch... Donald Duck! It's been a tradition since 1960 or something...

And my family goes to church each morning om Christmas Eve, to watch the christmas play there... it's very nice.

 

WESOLYCH SWIAT...

 

the day before st nikolaus kids clean their shoes ot boots and put them outside the house for st nikolaus to fill them with treats. years ago it used to be nuts,apples, oranges and a little chocolate...but nowdays its a lot more for some kids...my sister had a friend who got a new bike for st nikolaus...but that is not normal at all.

i usually got chocolate and a book or a cd or something like that.

 

Bike in a Shoes... He had very big Shoes

 

Or a very small bike.

 

We also have St. Nicholas day here in Poland but like you said it's usually just small gifts, chocolate, books, movies and so on.

 

In Ireland, we don't really make a big deal on Christmas Eve. on Christmas Day is when we have Turkey, and the whole family dinner thing. We usually put up our Christmas tree in the middle of advent around the 12th or something. And we open/give our presents on Christmas morning. I don't know about other Irish families, but we don't open any presents on Christmas Eve.

 

that is probably where the americans got their tradition from, eh?

 

In Denmark we have a big dinner at Christmas eve and after that we 'dance' (walks) around the christmas tree, singing carols. When we've finished that, we get our presents.

and we too have advent - with the candles and so on. And Lucia too...